XRL owners sign in.

[mendoteach]

Got to meet my first L inmate face-to-face this morning. Passed on an Acerbis fender to Referjohn. Hopefully, I'll get to meet and ride with more and more of you in the coming years.

[Ben99r1]

Originally Posted by Sierra Thumper

Keep in mind the xrl is a TALL bike that carries its fuel load high, that 5.8 tank is going to make your bike feel ungodly top-heavy. I'm running an IMS 4.7 gallon according to the previous owner, and even with my bike professionally lowered/resprung/revalved, and me being 6'3", my bike is still too tall and top heavy with the big tank on it. I would NEVER put a 5.8 on unless I was going on an intercontinental adventure ride. You'll never need that much fuel, and the weight and size destroys the handling and fun factor of the xrl off road.
Might as well just pick up a KLR instead
My next tank will be a 4 gallon......and thats what I would recommend for you as well

Sierra Thumper, I have a 4.0 gal clark tank. I traded a 5.8 tank for it last year. When I traded for the tank I was told it was 4.7 But it wasn't. Maybe you would like to trade your 4.7gal for my 4.0gal tank? We could just pay for shipping for our own tanks. Pm if you want to trade. Ben

[XR BADGER]

Originally Posted by mendoteach

The stock set-up can be much improved. That said I went with USDs and they transformed the handling of my bike. I also did it because it's not that expensive to do. I made money when I did it. They are sweet if you like to go fast. The only area conventional forks better them is in having less stiction. Rocks hounds like conventional (female slider) forks.

Thanks mendoteach. One reason I am leaning toward the USD set up is that I really did not get this bike to rock crawl, it's a little tall and heavy. And while I am certainly no racer, I do like to run the wider trails and fire roads fairly quick, at least for me. I know the stock set up,modified, has run the baja many times, just seems that the new shocks may have some favorable characteristic . One concern was the ergonomics, primarily rake, being other than stock might cause some adverse steering. Also I am running the Acerbis tank, and want to make sure there is clearance for them, and that the steering stops will work. It does sound like rsw has worked this out for the most part, but it is still a rather pricy chance.

[KyoXR]

Originally Posted by Spud Rider

Yes, I have the CST (Cheng Shin) Surge I, C7209 front tire installed on my XR650L. Indeed, the C7209 is the Surge I (intermediate) front tire. My current front tire is the fourth Surge I tire I have mounted on my XR650L. The C7209 is a very good tire. It works well on pavement, and it has never failed me while riding off road. I get excellent wear from this front tire when I keep it inflated to 26 psi, and flip it every 2,000 miles when I change the engine oil.
Chapparal Motorsports is currently selling this tire for $58.88, which beats the MSS price you quoted.

http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Prod.../368-1350.aspx

Spud

Thanks for the info and the link, I was happy to think there was a better price for the tire but it turns out that after fee's and shipping and tax it's going to be about $74.10 OTD (F'n CA tax), unless I spend at least $100 to get the free ground shipping which will make it $65.48 OTD (F'n CA tax) , it's all about the fine print...anyway, I don't NEED the tire just yet but I figured If I can get one on sale now for when I do need it.
for reference: motorcycle super store $63.99 OTD with the current free shipping with order over $49.

[MentalGuru]

I was reading the CRF250L thread and had to laugh.

They have named it the LRP after the XR650R BRP.

They seem to think it was designed after it or by Gods or something...


19HP of fury weighing only 320 pounds and flying around on 8.5"-9.5" of non-adjustable cheap suspension.


They should call it what it is... A parts bin wanna be or a Fat Slow Piglet at best.

[flyingwombat]

Originally Posted by Sierra Thumper

Keep in mind the xrl is a TALL bike that carries its fuel load high, that 5.8 tank is going to make your bike feel ungodly top-heavy. I'm running an IMS 4.7 gallon according to the previous owner, and even with my bike professionally lowered/resprung/revalved, and me being 6'3", my bike is still too tall and top heavy with the big tank on it. I would NEVER put a 5.8 on unless I was going on an intercontinental adventure ride. You'll never need that much fuel, and the weight and size destroys the handling and fun factor of the xrl off road.

I agree with the top heavy-ness when the tank is full. The front end will push pretty hard. However, when the tank only has a couple gallons in it, it carries the weight lower than the factory tank and it handles great. You will probably want to make sure you have an oil cooler because it does probably restrict some of the upper engine air flow.

I didn't like the installation but now that it's installed, I like the 5.8 a lot. The two things that would be nice are OEM petcocks rather than those cheesy Acerbis petcocks, and a translucent color so I can see how much fuel is left. That said, I haven't had any problems with the Acerbis petcocks after multiple crashes.

I think if you need the range, it's a great tank. I got it for Baja, where there are plenty of places it's needed but I also put the extra range to good use around here. It's nice not having to interrupt a day of exploring to backtrack to a gas station.

[taco250]

Originally Posted by MentalGuru

I was reading the CRF250L thread and had to laugh.

They have named it the LRP after the XR650R BRP.

They seem to think it was designed after it or by Gods or something...


19HP of fury weighing only 320 pounds and flying around on 8.5"-9.5" of non-adjustable cheap suspension.


They should call it what it is... A parts bin wanna be or a Fat Slow Piglet at best.

19hp?? That seems pretty lame for a 320lb bike IMO. BTW, what is stock HP for the 650L?

[Sierra Thumper]

Originally Posted by Ben99r1

Sierra Thumper. I have been running the RSWracing.com fork brace. I had the same problem with my L. I changed the springs and oil in the forks along with the brace. It did change the way the bike tracked on the trail. I feel if you work on the internal parts of the forks a brace is a must do. Here is a link http://www.rswracing.com/xr650l.htm

Originally Posted by mcma111

http://www.rswracing.com/xr650l.htm

Originally Posted by Helipilot

Marko (therealbigman) had some Fork Braces Summers Racing I think that he was selling for a fairly reasonable price. They looked good and have worked great for my 650L. I would recommend him or RSW as Steve (mcma 111) recommended. I think it was a good addition and help to keep you from being launched in different direction if you hit a rock or a big rut.

Good Luck in your search.

Thanks for the quick responses and awesome feedback....you guys are great
Marko already contacted me with a great deal on an RSW brace that I might take him up on

I do have some concerns on how the brace fits with the fork boots tho.....I assumed they went on no prob, but it seems I've read you have to try and cut up you're boots to make the brace work, or go with another form of fork protection alltogether?

And Ben you mentioned the brace does change the way the forks work on the trails....what's the change? I'm still debating if this is something I want to do or not. I have no complaints with the suspension now, except how easy the forks twist when you go down....otherwise I'm fine with the current set-up for my style of riding.
I hate how the front pushes with the IMS tank full, but thats just the price I pay I suppose for the extra range...which I do appreciate
My xr500 with very trick USD's pushed as well.....big honda thumpers and front end push seem to go together like ice cream and apple pie
My 500 introduced me to 2 fractured ribs, from 2 seperate medium speed front end wash-outs.
I've since learned how to better ride these front heavy 4 stroke beasts after coming off 2 strokes

[flatfender]

Originally Posted by Sub Zero

this is a message to everybody to ride safe and to always stay alert out there both on and offroad.

I wish you well and a full recovery. Your wounds look serious and painful. I hope everything ends up for the better and your suffering is well compensated for.

I too got pegged by an "I didn't see him" motorist when I was 19. I was pretty stupid back then but somehow I did learn that no matter how many precautions you take there are still those out there that simply don't pay attention to other vehicles on the street.

[flatfender]

Originally Posted by mendoteach

Subzero, heal up quick and do every bit of what your PT tells you, plus more! You are young, take care of yourself and you will heal up well. Think positive and think of us, we're all rooting for you.

I had a head on with a Chevy Tahoe two years ago on a 26 ft. wide forest road. I went around a right hand blind apex and some dumb ass was talking to his passenger and driving like he was an Englishman. I skidded to my left, then throttled to cross the the left. At the same time he turned to his right (fuckin' thanks, a little late). When I knew a collision was imminent, I jumped off the pegs and pushed off the handle bars with everything I was worth. I flew on his his hood, hit his window and then sailed 40 ft. down the road. I was lucky to escape with some contusions of the kidneys and bruised ribs. My bike was totaled, however. Initially, my insurance company (same as his BTW) wanted to 50/50 the accident because of no police report, but my friends and I took plenty of pictures at the scene and then went back months latter and took some more with video and a tape measure. I was riding less than a foot from the drainage ditch and had evidence to support that, the skid etc. California law says you are supposed to drive/ride on the left-hand most side of the road–dirt, yellow line or otherwise. Cal-trans standard for a lane is 11ft. I used 12 inches of my 11 ft. and won the case. Be careful boys!

I'm curious about the gear you were wearing. For street riding I wear the First gear Rainier jacket and Escape pants and really wonder about the foam pads they claim are crash protection. It's kind of funny that these pads are more than enough for trail riding and the occasional tumble in the rocks. I mean it seams backward, for the street I should be wearing the hard plastic pressure suit and shin/knee guards and for the trail the foam padding is plenty.

[JWhitmore44]

Originally Posted by Sierra Thumper

I do have some concerns on how the brace fits with the fork boots tho.....I assumed they went on no prob, but it seems I've read you have to try and cut up you're boots to make the brace work, or go with another form of fork protection alltogether?

And Ben you mentioned the brace does change the way the forks work on the trails....what's the change? I'm still debating if this is something I want to do or not. I have no complaints with the suspension now, except how easy the forks twist when you go down....otherwise I'm fine with the current set-up for my style of riding.

The previous owner of my L add this fork brace



All he did was squish the boots up a little. You can also trim the boots if you don't like the squished look

As far as what the fork brace does trail riding is, it keeps you from being deflected from your path of travel. For instance, if you hit a good size rock, tree root, or get in a rut, the forks wont deflect and knock you off your line (or at least not as much with out the brace). The USD's are stiffer and do the same thing. I find with the fork brace the ruts don't seem to bother me, and once in a rut I can climb right back out with out much issue.

I'm not a fast rider on the trails, although I can keep up with a quick pace if I need to. I don't ride motocross style although I like to jump a little embankment form time to time, I wont be doing doubles though I like to ride spiritedly on paved curves but I'm no knee drager. I find the conventional forks sprung right and a fork brace tow work well for my style of ridding. I had an 05 WR45 before the XRL and loved the USD's for making that thing fly. They were forgiving if you landed wrong. They worked great for fast rough stuff. But I find the conventional forks on the XRL to be a little softer, not as "sharp" on the edges of ruff stuff when taking it at a slower pace.

Basically, if I'm ridding fast and hard give me USD's. I'd love to put a set on my sons KDX220 If I'm just out enjoying the ride on the trail, back roads, playing in some twisties, I'll stay with the conventionals. Although which ever way you go you'll love the difference from stock.

[XR650L_Dave]

Originally Posted by taco250

19hp?? That seems pretty lame for a 320lb bike imo. Btw, what is stock hp for the 650l?

18.

[MentalGuru]

Originally Posted by taco250

19hp?? That seems pretty lame for a 320lb bike IMO. BTW, what is stock HP for the 650L?

Originally Posted by XR650L_Dave

18.

give it some credit... more like 19 uncorked...

[Spud Rider]

Originally Posted by bwalsh

Dis stuff?

Yes, that's the No-Toil Evolution filter oil I am using with my Uni air filters. If you want the best deal, buy the 1/2-gallon container.

http://www.oemcycle.com/Item/product...FcKPPAodGTsA6A

Spud

[Sub Zero]

Originally Posted by MentalGuru

I was reading the CRF250L thread and had to laugh.

They have named it the LRP after the XR650R BRP.

They seem to think it was designed after it or by Gods or something...


19HP of fury weighing only 320 pounds and flying around on 8.5"-9.5" of non-adjustable cheap suspension.


They should call it what it is... A parts bin wanna be or a Fat Slow Piglet at best.

the 250L disappoints me

more suspension travel at both ends, and a slightly hotter motor, say, 26hp and Honda would have one sweet little ride. I used to own Hondas first liquid cooled dual sport, the NX250 which produced 26hp to the rear wheel. although it had a 16 inch rear wheel and a 19 inch front with suspension travel about the same as the 250L, it was still a great bike imo geared more towards the street then the dirt. although it did alright in the occasional offroad jaunt.

i bought mine with 8000 miles on it, and sold it with 25,000 miles. not a single problem with the motor except for 1 spark plug change. mine was a 1988











and in other news on my road to recovery, i had my doc appointment yesterday and im back to walking on my own again! (barely) the doc lifted my no weight bearing restriction on my right leg meaning i can use it to support my weight now. just cant bend my knee. i still have to wear a brace. I also got scheduled for bone graft surgery on my birthday. (dec 10th) soon as that's over doc said i should be able to bend my knee and walk and jump etc and do everything i normally could before my accident.... as long as i can tolerate the pain i might receive when doing so.

he was not sure if it would cause pain in my knee riding a dirt bike offroad or not so hopefully things will be ok there. as far as my back, i was prescribed a different spine brace that's not as irritating as the first and was told to come back in 6 weeks to check on progress. hopefully after those 6 weeks the spine brace can come off and i will be back to normal again! though technically, after the bone graft surgery, as soon as im off the Oxycontin (heroin) painkillers im on, i can start riding again!

thats all i got for now!